State pension goes above £10,000 – but has something got to give? This is Money podcast

State pension tops £10,000 – but do you have anything to give? This is the Money podcast

The state pension is getting a boost this week, meaning many pensioners will pay more than £200 a week or £10,000 a year for the first time.

The government has also recently announced that it is postponing a decision on raising the state pension age to 68 until after the next elections – perhaps influenced by protests across the channel.

Pension commentators said the move would be “incredibly unpopular” and likely “political suicide.”

Governments don’t like to upset retirees because they vote en masse — but maintaining the status quo is incredibly expensive. Does it ultimately mean anything when it comes to the state pension age and the retention of the triple slot?

On this week’s podcast, Georgie Frost is joined by Tanya Jefferies and Helen Crane to discuss.

We’re also looking at one lucky This is Money reader who gets an even bigger boost and sees his pension increase by more than 16 percent. It sounds like great news, but he wonders if it means he’s been shortchanged in the past.

Elsewhere, research this week has shown that Britons are still dragging their feet when it comes to making a will.

The team looks at why it’s important, how it should be done – and why it’s not just about money.

Etoro’s Sam North provides the latest updates on the markets as we head into the long weekend.

We also discuss why broadband companies have managed to get away with ignoring instructions from regulator Ofcom to make switching easier for customers.

It told them two years ago to make it possible to switch providers in just one day – so why are most of us still without an internet connection for two weeks?

Finally, fancy a sabbatical from work to travel? Some large companies offer the extended time off as a perk to long-serving staff – but would your boss let you go and how would you pay for it?

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